Improvement in animal-traps



UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICEO GEORGE G. COTTRELL, OF SHARON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN ANIMAL-TRAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,245, dated June 5, 1866.

To all whom fit may concern.'

Beit known that I, GEORGE G. COTTRELL, of Sharon,iu the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to that class of traps generally known as "steel traps," which seize theleg or other partof the 'animal and partially crush it. The improvements relate to certain modifications of the details.

I will first describe what I consider the'best means ot' carrying out my invention, and will afterward designate the points which I believe to be new. The accompanying drawings forni a part of this specification. n

Figure lis a side elevation of' the trap when set ready to be sprung. I*`ig.2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. .3 is a cross-section on the line S S in Fig. 2.

The red outlines indicate the positions which the several parts assume after the trap has/ been sprung.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures. Tints are employed simply to distinguish parts, and do not indicate material. rlhe material for the whole may be iron and steel.

A is the foundation or Xed frame; M and N the jaws turning on centers m a; and C is the spring. D is the pan, turning on a center, d. E is the lever which holds the jaws open. The jaws M and N are each, in fact, double jaws, or provided with 'two ridges on the inner face of the jaw, which seize the aniinals leg at two points, instead of at one point, as is usual. The upper ridges are marked M' N', and the lower ridges are marked M2 N2.

The leg of an animal being seized by this trap at two points is more' securely'held than in ordinary traps. Animals frequently escape from ordinary traps in a mutilated condition by gnawing olf the part of the limb which is below the jaw. It is supposed that the part becomes destitute of feeling after a little time, because the animal never gnaws above the point where it is griped by the trap.

My'trap holds the animal firmly by the upper ridges, M' N', after the animal has bitten ot'f all that projects below the lower ridges, M2 N2.

i 'i W 'I he jaws are so constructed that the animal cannot gain access to the portion between these ridges.

In setting the trap the spring C is pressed down, the jaws opened, and the lever E passed over one ot' thejaws, N, as usual. The panD is now elevated into a horizontal position, and the narrow surface at the end of thelever E is allowed to catch against a corresponding narrow surface, D', on the pan D. These parts are both constructed in a manner analogous to knife-edges, so that an elevation as well as a depression of the pan D will spring the' trap. It happens in practice that animals lift on the pan when it is baited and seized by the mouth, and it sometimes happens that an animal will succeed in disengagin g the bait from the pan of an ordinary trapand leave it set. My construction and arrangement of the surfaces D' and E' prevent this. If the pan D is pressed down the trap is sprung as usual. If the pan D 's'pul'lerhupward the trap is sprung with jeiial certainty by causing the knife-edges E' to slip off on the opposite side of the knifeedges D', allowing the lever E to dy upward The sheet metal composing the main surface of the pan is cut in the form represented, so as to leave two points, which are bent upward, and then extended horizontally in the position represented. These points serve as very convenient means ot securing the meat or other bait upon/.the trap. It is simply necessary to apply theLmea-t on the edge of the pan and push vit forcibly upon the points.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new in steel traps, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. The double ridges or holding-jaws M' N' and for the purpose herein specified.

2. rEhe knife-edges or narrow bearings D' E', arranged substantially in the ymanner and for the purpose herein set forth. v l

3. The spits formed ou the pan D, substantially vin the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

GEORGE G. COTTRELL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT RAWLEY,

HIEAM WEEE.

through the opening or break D2 on the pan.\

M2 N2, arranged to operate substantially as 

